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X-Men Origins: Wolverine
By James Rocchi,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
More brutal action than in earlier X-Men films.
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X-Men Origins: Wolverine
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Based on 40 parent reviews
Very gruesome and bad movie
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What's the Story?
Set before the events of the X-Men franchise, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE tells the story of Hugh Jackman's quick-healing, metal-clawed superhuman superhero (aka Logan), from fighting wars to joining a special superhuman dirty tricks group; from walking away in disgust to coming back for vengeance. Wolverine's old employer, Col. William Stryker (Danny Huston), offers him the medical-scientific upgrades to make his revenge possible, but Wolverine learns that it's all part of a much bigger plan to make an ultimate killing machine that Stryker can pit against all mutantkind. Can Wolverine -- who stands alone -- step up, be a leader, and save the day?
Is It Any Good?
Much like the over-stuffed, over-done X-Men: The Last Stand, this is a fairly bloated film with too many characters, too much comic book trivia, and, ironically, not enough Wolverine. "More" in this case doesn't mean "better"; here, it's simply too much, with supporting characters crowding out the lead.
The action scenes are acceptable, even though X-Men Origins: Wolverine doesn't do much with its '70s setting (since the only time-setting plot point is the Three Mile Island disaster, it's not always clear when all this is happening). Jackman has a real charm and a sly sense of humor; regrettably, the film doesn't give him much to do with either of them. And while Huston and co-star Liev Schreiber are charismatic in their bad-guy roles, the fact that the film bypasses them in favor of a silent, speechless ultimate bad guy detracts from their work. Wolverine feels like it was produced by people who were more interested in making money and selling toys than they were in telling a coherent, fun story, and the film suffers for it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether the violence in X-Men Origins: Wolverine has more impact than that of the earlier X-Men movies. Why or why not?
How are Wolverine's fights different than those of characters with different powers/abilities? Is he comfortable with his strength? How does he control it?
The film seems to be saying that you can make the choice to not kill an enemy -- but is that message clear amid the high body count?
Discuss the appeal of comic book movies. Why do audiences like them so much?
Movie Details
- In theaters: May 1, 2009
- On DVD or streaming: September 15, 2009
- Cast: Danny Huston , Hugh Jackman , Liev Schreiber
- Director: Gavin Hood
- Inclusion Information: Indian/South Asian actors
- Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Superheroes
- Run time: 107 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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